I Surrender All…

Monday, November 12, 2012

All to thee, my blessed Savior- yes. But what I’m really talking about is sitting over here in Alexandria waving my little white flag. The last two weeks have been a doozy I’d rather not repeat…from natural disasters to baby mama drama to canceled flights and the stomach flu, I am officially ready to not be crying, worrying, vomiting, or overwhelmed.

But wait, The Holidays starts next week.

And I’m having a baby the month after that.

Looks like I need a plan B.

So, in a nutshell, here’s what went down…

Monday: Hurricane Superstorm Sandy hit. Lasted through Tuesday. Nothing like it was farther north, more of an inconvenience. Government closed, no school, no work for two days.

{No soup for you!}

Wednesday: Halloween, I worked. Office SUPER hot. Super busy. Crazy kids, students observing from the local university, no time for notes or rest or water breaks {my fault}. Physically exhausted. Make Tyler hand out candy. Tell Tyler to stop being so stingy with the handouts. Bed. Notice minor spotting around midnight when I use bathroom. Not too worried, call doc in the AM.

Nurse calls back, “Go home immediately, you need an ultrasound, you are not allowed to travel.”

{Crucial detail: T and I are booked on a 5pm flight to Tucson to see my dad, trip’s been planned for months. Sister is also flying out the same day with her fam. Haven’t been to Arizona in almost three years.}

Hold it together on the phone, get the details, hang up, call Tyler sobbing. Eighteen phone calls later, I have an ultrasound appointment within the hour. Go back into lab to get my blood drawn. Nurses likely think I’m crazy.

Tyler picks me up, fly across town to radiology office. Ultrasound. Perfect, beautiful, no problem. Saw Baby Girl in 3D. Previously anti-3D because I think it’s weird when people show you pictures of their warped 3D babies, but when it’s your own and you see their little face, it stops your breath and makes you cry.

Anyway. Radiology doc: “No reason I see you can’t travel. Amniotic fluid is on the low side, but that’s all. I’ll send the results over.” Overjoyed. Race home to finish packing, assume we’re still flying out at 5pm.

Nurse calls back at 3pm, minutes from leaving for the airport. “You still can’t travel. OB wants to see you.” Literally begged the nurse to let us go. No dice.

Tyler calls the airlines, optimistically re-books our flight for next day. I cry and watch movies in bed for the rest of the night. Make T call family and say we’re not coming.

Friday: Early voting. Doctor’s appointment at 1pm. Review results, everything great. Don’t know why the spotting. Still advises no travel but agrees everything seems fine. Once we learn she herself is flying to Tucson to next day to visit her in-laws, there was no stopping us. We get the nod.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Side note: “Your amniotic fluid was in the 5th percentile and you need to see a perinatologist for weekly ultrasounds and fetal monitoring.” {Record scratch} “Every week?? Okay, got it.” Lunch. Airport. Airplane. Sitting for four hours at this stage of pregnancy sucks. But I’m grateful.

Tuesday: Election Day. Tyler’s potential new boss. Election night. South Carolina. Drive six hours to Myrtle Beach. Still uncomfortable, less uncomfortable than airplane. Drinking water like it’s my job. Text from Mom: “I hear everyone in Arizona has the stomach flu.” Confirm with sister. “Dear God, please don’t let me get the stomach flu, please don’t let me get the stomach flu, please don’t let me get the stomach flu.” Election night party, candidate wins, Tyler has a job!! Yay. Exhausted and uncomfortable by midnight. Get a ride home early to the new Congressman’s house and get in bed. No sleeping. Stomach flu strikes by 1 am. All over Congressman’s bathroom.

Wednesday: I’m supposed to be on a 9am flight to DC to get back to work. Tyler is staying in SC to help set up new office. No way on God’s green earth I am flying anywhere, much less alone. More projectile vomiting in a bathroom that isn’t mine. Cancel my afternoon patients. Tyler cancels flight. Cancels trip. Drives me six hours home. Fetal position in the back seat. More vomiting.

{Listen up single ladies, he might be handsome and rich and a great kisser, but you REALLY need to make sure he’ll pull over and carry your bags of pink throw-up to the trash for you. Among other things.}

Friday: First day at work in over a week. Leave early for appointment with perinatologist. Another ultrasound. Baby still perfect. Amniotic fluid level iiiiiiiiiiis {drumroll please!}…in the 50th percentile! I went from the 5th to the 50th in a week! Even after all that stress and travel and vomiting… Praise be to God. No need for weekly follow-ups. So so so thankful!

It might be Monday, but I am so grateful for a normal work week ahead of me and a slow weekend ahead to tackle projects around this much neglected house! My pregnancy went from easy breezy and worry-free to now slightly over-analyzing every kick and cramp, but I am beyond grateful that Baby Girl is healthy. The logistics of weekly appointments this early on would have been tough but I would do anything to make sure she stays well.

And at the end of this two weeks, we are unendingly grateful for wonderful time with family, relatively healthy bodies, and for JOBS! Two months ago, we needed a new house, a new car, and a new job. And God has proven to be a faithful provider in all of these things. All that other stuff is peanuts. {But I’m still glad it’s over.}

{So maybe that wasn’t quite a nutshell. Or just a really big nutshell. Like a coco de mer.} If you made it through that whole thing, I owe you a candy bar!